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What is the supreme and only authority for service? Surely that it be "according to the
commandment of the Lord".
The commandment.
"He called . . . . . He gave them power" (Matt. 10: 1).
"Have not I chosen you twelve?" (John 6: 70).
"Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and ordained you" (John 15: 16).
What is true of the ministry of the twelve apostles is true of all subsequent ministry; it
must be according to the Lord's command. In the days of the Law, death followed
transgression in service (see Numb. 4: 15, 19). While physical death does not follow
transgression in service now, who can say how much spiritual deadness results from it
here, and how much loss will result there when the service is tried by fire? If the Lord
called some to be evangelists, and some to be teachers, it is surely evident that He needs
both. The criticism of friends counts for nothing in these matters. Some have
"problems" respecting the ministry of women, but the "commandments of the Lord" are
plain, vide I Cor. 14: 34, I Tim. 2: 12-15, and Titus 2: 3-5. There is an order in later
ministry that is as definite as any given in Numb. 1:-4::--
"God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly
teachers" (I Cor. 12: 28).
"He gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors
and teachers" (Eph. 4: 11).
Whatever dispensation is in view, order is to be observed. Apostles and prophets
came first. They were the foundation ministry of the church of the mystery (Eph. 2: 20).
Evangelists (II Tim. 4: 5) came next; then teachers (II Tim. 2: 2).
His service.
"Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether
prophecy, let us prophecy according to the proportion of faith; or ministry, let us wait on
our ministering; or he that teacheth, on teaching; or he that exhorteth, on exhortation;
he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that
showeth mercy, with cheerfulness" (Rom. 12: 6-8).
"If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body, is it therefore
not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? The eye
cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee. God hath set the members every one of
them in the body, as it hath pleased Him" (I Cor. 12: 15-21).
And yet, for example, we meet with some, eminently fitted to be the hosts of the
church, who spoil a good witness by persistently trying to teach or preach. Others,
whose business abilities are demanded by the Lord, leave the church the poorer while
they indulge some foolish whim of their own.